Dispensing cap for an aerosol container



y 1966 R. H. ABPLANALP 3,

DISPENSING CAP FOR AN AEROSOL CONTAINER Filed July 19, 1962 United States Patent DISPENSING CAP FOR AN AEROSOL CONTAINER Robert Henry Abplanalp, Bronxville, N.Y., assignor to Precision Valve Corporation, Yonkers, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed July 19, 1962, Ser. No. 211,058 8 Claims. (Cl. 222-182) This invention is a dispensing cap for an aerosol container, the object of the invention being to produce a cap having an integral valve operating tab, so arranged with respect to the remainder of the cap that said cap, without more, will serve to permit stacking of containers embodying such caps and will also thoroughly protect the tab against inadvertent operation by contact with extraneous objects.

The object of this invention is to provide a one-piece cap which will accomplish the results stated and provide at the same time means for mounting the cap on a conventional aerosol can and for connecting the tab of such cap with the tubular valve stem of the associated can.

An important feature of this invention is that the cap of this invention requires no protective dome, the cap itself serving to give all the protection necessary.

Features of the invention, other than those adverted to, will be apparent from the hereinafter detailed description and appended claims, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

The accompanying drawing illustrates one practical embodiment of the invention, but the construction therein shown is to be understood as illustrative, only, and not as defining the limits of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a vertical transverse section through a cap embodying the present invention, the same being shown as applied to a fragmental portion of a can, certain parts of which are shown in like section.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cap shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the cap.

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the cap.

FIG. 1 of the drawing shows a conventional can I having a top wall 2 permanently secured to the side wall of the can by an inverted channel joint 3 forming, between the joint and the remainder of the cover, an annular recess 4. The top wall 2 is provided with a filling opening, the margin of which is curled outwardly as shown at 5 and a mounting cup 6 is expanded into this opening with its margin curled at 7 to fit over the curled margin of the top wall. The mounting cup 6 is provided with the usual pedestal 8 within which is mounted a valve having an upwardly projecting valve stem 9 and depending from the valve within the pedestal is the usual dip tube 40.

The parts thus far described are those of a conventional can. Any appropriate form of valve provided with a tubular stem, which when reciprocated will open and close the valve, may be employed, such, for example, as the valve disclosed in my Patent No. 2,631,814, dated March 17, 1953. This can and valve construction forms no part of the present invention except as used in conjunction with the cap next to be described.

The cap of this invention has a peripheral wall 10 preferably of a diameter to seat in the recess 4 of the can. This peripheral wall is of suflicient height to project well above the upper end of the valve stem 9 where it is integrally formed with an inverted frusto conical re-entrant top wall 11.

The top wall 11 and the peripheral wall 10 extend about the greater portion of the circumference of the cap, but at one side of the cap both of them merge into a recess 12, as clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. This recess has diverging upright side walls 13 and a sloping bottom wall 14.

At the center of the top wall 11 of the cap is an opening 15 and in this opening is positioned a tab disk 16. On the under side of this disk is a hub 17 provided therein with a socket 18 to snugly receive the upper end of the valve stem 9 and the base of this socket communicates with a discharge outlet 19. There may be incorporated in the base of the socket appropriate mechanical break-up forms which will assure a whirling spray to issue from the discharge outlet 19 and FIGS. 1 and 4 of the drawing shows such a form in the base of the socket. However, this whirling spray form may be omitted if desired.

One side of the disk 16, directly opposite the recess 12, is integrally molded with the top wall 11 of the cap as indicated at 20. The juncture of these parts is relatively narrow so as to provide, at the zone 20, a hinge portion by virtue of which the disk 16 is adapted for pivotal movement on a horizontal axis. This pivotal movement is adapted to be imparted by a tab-like finger piece 21, integral with the disk 16 and extending into the recess 12. This recess allows easy access for the finger of an operator which, when pressed downwardly upon the finger piece 21, will depress the valve stem 9 and open the associated valve. Liquid within the can 1 may thus be discharged through the valve stem 9 and through the discharge outlet 19. A limiting flange 22 is formed on the finger piece 21 between the discharge outlet 19 and the free end of the finger piece, so that the finger of the operator may not be placed in such position as to cover the discharge opening 19.

In order to firmly mount the cap upon the can, said cap is provided with an inner wall 23 formed integral with and depending from the top wall 11. This inner wall has at its lower end an internal detent flange 24 which preferably extends entirely about the lower edge of this wall and is adapted to snap beneath the shoulder formed by the lower edge of the curled margin 7 of the mounting cup, to firmly hold the cap on the can.

The cap of the present invention may be efiiciently and easily manufactured by conventional injection molding apparatus and the resulting cast is a one-piece integral construction well adapted to carry out all aerosol dispensing functions and rat the same time effectually protect the tab from inadvertent operation, without requiring the use of a protective dome so commonly required in connection with dispenser caps.

The foregoing detailed description sets forth the invention in its preferred practical forms, but the invention is to be understood as fully commensurate with the appended claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A cap for an aerosol dispensing container comprising: a peripheral wall adapted to overlie a container with a major portion of the upper edge of said peripheral wall integral with a downwardly and inwardly sloping top wall provided with an opening, a valve operating tab positioned in said opening and integrally flexibly united with the margin of said opening to form therewith a hinge for pivotal movement of said tab, said tab being provided on its bottom with a socket to receive the valve stem of the aerosol dispensing container, there being a discharge outlet leading from the socket through the top of the tab, and said peripheral wall having formed therein a recess into which said tab projects for easy access thereto by the finger of an operator, and an inner wall integral with and depending from the top wall of the cap and provided with means for securing the cap to the container.

2. A cap for an aerosol dispensing container comprising: a peripheral wall adapted to overlie the top of a container, an inner wall coaxial with the outer wall and provided at its lower edge with a flange to engage with and support the cap on the top of the container, a re-entrant top wall integral with both of the peripheral and inner walls and provided with a substantially centrally disposed opening, said peripheral and inner walls and the top wall extending annularly with all of said walls merging into and being integral with oppositely disposed side walls of a finger receiving recess which communicates with the central opening in the top wall and is closed at its bottom by a portion of the peripheral wall, and a valve operating tab having an integral hinge connection to the top wall with one end of the tab projecting into said recess, said tab being positioned below the top of the peripheral wall and having a socket to receive the valve stem of the container with a discharge outlet extending through the top of the tab intermediate the end-s of the latter.

3. A cap according to claim 2, wherein the tab is provided on its upper surface with a limiting stop to preclude inadvertent positioning of the operators finger over the discharge outlet.

4. A cap for a pressurized container comprising: an upstanding peripheral wall, a major portion of the upper edge of which is integral with a downwardly and inwardly sloping top wall provided at one side of the cap with a depressed finger receiving recess, there being an opening in the base of said sloping top wall extending into said recess, and a valve operating tab positioned in said opening below the upper edge of the peripheral wall and integrally flexibly united with the margin of said opening in the sloping top wall to form therewith a hinge for pivotal movement of said tab, said tab being provided with a socket to receive the valve stem of the aerosol dispensing container, there 'being a discharge outlet passage leading from the socket through the top of the tab.

5. A cap for a pressurized container comprising: an

upstanding side wall, the upper edge of which is integral with a downwardly and inwardly sloping top wall merging into an integral flexible hinge connection with a valve operating tab which projects from said hinge connection toward one side of the cap, said downwardly and inwardly sloping top wall being provided adjacent the free end of the tab with a finger receiving recess extending downwardly from the top of the cap into juxtaposed relation with said free end of the tab, said tab being provided on its under side with a valve stem receiving socket and a discharge passage leading from said socket to the exterior of the cap.

6. A cap according to claim 5, wherein the discharge passage leads from the socket upwardly to the exterior of the cap.

7. A cap for a pressurized container comprising: an upstanding wall integral with a top wall which extends downwardly and inwardly and the lower portion of which has an integral flexible hinge connection with a valve operating tab which projects from said hinge conuection toward one side of the cap and into a finger receiving recess extending downwardly from the top wall into juxtaposition with the free end of the tab, said tab being provided on its under side with a valve stem receiving socket, and a discharge passage leading from said socket to the exterior of the cap.

8. A cap according to claim 7, wherein the finger receiving recess has a closed bottom.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,761,594 9/1956 Stroh 222182 X 2,887,273 5/1959 Anderson et al.

2,981,446 4/1961 Campbell 222--509 X 3,006,510 10/ 1961 Sagarin 222182 3,058,626 10/1962 Hibbs et al.

3,101,876 8/1963 Ayres.

3,107,033 10/1963 Sanborn 222182 X 3,185,349 5/1965 Sagarin 222153 RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Primary Examiner.

LOUIS J. DEMBO, Examiner.

T. R. LAMPE, C. R. CARTER, Assistant Examiners. 

1. A CAP FOR AN AEROSOL DISPENSING CONTAINER COMPRISING: A PERIPHERAL WALL ADAPTED TO OVERLIE A CONTAINER WITH A MAJOR PORTION OF THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID PERIPHERAL WALL INTEGRAL WITH A DOWNWARDLY AND INWARDLY SLOPING TOP WALL PROVIDED WITH AN OPENING, A VALVE OPERATING TAB POSITIONED IN SAID OPENING AND INTEGRALLY FLEXIBLY UNITED WITH THE MARGIN OF SAID OPENING TO FORM THEREWITH A HINGE FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID TAB, SAID TAB BEING PROVIDED ON ITS BOTTOM WITH A SOCKET TO RECEIVE THE VALVE STEM OF THE AEROSOL DISPENSING CONTAINER, THERE BEING A DISCHARGE 